Imaged multiple part documents, such as courier service airbills having bar coding thereon, are difficult to efficiently manufacture. If the forms are six part, normal press running requires six separate plates, makeready, and runs. To variable image these documents, an ion deposition printer may be used for imaging roll to roll, and then the parts are collated. The process can be enhanced by providing multiple ion deposition print engines on a collator, however this requires as many ion deposition print engines as parts of the form, which is a substantial capital investment and adversely affects productivity.
According to the present invention, imaged multi-part documents, such as bar coded airbills, may be produced in an efficient manner at high speed (e.g. over 400 feet per minute), and high throughput. Also, by the practice of the present invention a complete document can be manufactured in a one-pass operation, requiring only one setup and run, substantially reducing setup time.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a method of producing multiple part documents, each part having common non-variable information, and at least some parts having common variable information (such as a bar coding) is provided. The method comprises the following steps: (a) On a continuous web, sequentially printing each part of the multiple part document with common non-variable information. (b) On the continuous web, sequentially printing variable information on the multiple parts in a procedure distinct from step (a). Then (c) separating and intelligently gathering the parts of the multiple part document. And then (d) sealing the multiple parts of each document together along one edge thereof.
Step (b) is preferably practiced by ion deposition printing, and both faces of the web can be printed with variable information by a single ion deposition print engine each. The steps are preferably practiced in the order of (b), (a), (c), and (d). Step (a) is practiced utilizing a large diameter plate, having a circumference at least as great as the width or length of a part times the number of parts, or by sequential press technology. Step (d) may be practiced by applying strips of pressure seal adhesive to a common edge of a plurality of the parts of each multiple part document, aligning the adhesive strip edges, and applying pressure to the parts only at the adhesive strips.
There may be the further steps, after step (d), of rotating the documents roughly 90 degrees, and delivering the documents to a carrier web to be carried thereby. Alternatively, there may be the further steps of (e), immediately after step (d), providing an outer wrapper or an envelope around the multiple part documents, and (f) prior to step (e), variably imaging the outer wrapper or envelope with an ion deposition print engine. The method may be practiced at a speed of at least 400 fpm.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a printing system for printing multiple part documents having common non-variable information, and variable information, is provided. This system comprises: Web unwinding means for unwinding a paper web having first and second faces. A single variably imaging print engine for the first face of the web for variably imaging the web after it is unwound by the unwinding means. Means distinct from the variably imaging print engine for sequentially printing on the web first face each part of the multiple part document with non-variable information. Means for separating and intelligently gathering the parts of the multiple part document. And means for sealing the multiple parts of each document together along one edge thereof.
Typically the variable imaging print engine (or engines if another is provided for the second face of the web) are ion deposition print engines. The sequential printing means comprises a printing press having a large diameter plate, or sequential printing technology. The ion deposition print engine is disposed between the unwinding means (which may be a sonic unwinder), and the sequential printing means. Another ion deposition print engine may be provided for printing an outer wrapper or envelope to be provided around the document downstream of the sealing means. The sealing means may be a pressure sealer or a glue application system.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide for the efficient, high speed, and easy setup and running production, of multiple part business forms having non-variable information on all parts, and variable information (such as bar coding) on at least some of the parts. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.